Destinies Entwined
by Arhinn
Summary: CH 3: Gaara, his siblings, and Vasha head to Konoha. Kabuto recieves a progress report. The thieves plan their next attack.
1. Thieves

**Disclaimer: All characters except the characters created by Galaxya and I, are owned by the creator of the Naruto series.**

**This story is written by both Galaxya and me. We hope you enjoy it. We're having fun writing it. We're planning on making this story quite long. So, there are definitely more chapters on the way.**

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**Chapter 1**

A light haired ninja shivered slightly. The room was cold, and its occupants, even colder. He stood partially hidden in the shadows. His black eyes examined the dark room carefully.

"You know your mission. Bring me the scroll, and this time, don't fail," said a dark voice.

"Don't worry, Orochimaru," said the light haired ninja. "I've got the perfect person for the job." The ninja turned to face the door behind him.

Orochimaru smirked. "When have you ever seen me worried, Kabuto?"

With that Kabuto exited the dark room, closing the door behind him.

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"Stop! Thief!"

A dark clothed ninja growled angrily, landing on a roof. He stood up, scanning the surrounding buildings for any sign of activity. "Where the hell is she?" he muttered.

He growled again, and jumped into the alley below. "Damn. Gaara is going to kill me if she gets away with those." He sighed and continued his search for the elusive thief. Standing on top of another building, Kankurou shielded his eyes from the harsh desert sun. He scanned the surrounding village intently, hoping to spot some kind of unusual commotion. Nothing. "Damn it," he cursed again, under his breath.

"My, my. Aren't we a little tense today?" said a voice, obviously amused.

Kankurou lowered his head and glowered. "Unless you're here to help me Temari, I'm really not in the mood." He didn't have to look up to know it was his sister.

Temari grinned and scanned the surrounding village quickly. "She's headed towards the gates. Let's go."

Kankurou nodded and followed quickly behind Temari. "Once I get my hands on her, I'm going to kill her," thought Kankurou darkly.

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"Just a couple more minutes!" The young thief leaned up against a cool wall, panting heavily. The desert heat and constant running wasn't helping at all. She glanced around nervously, wiping a few beads of sweat from her forehead. "God, I hope they signal soon. Then I can ditch those things and get out of here."

She pushed herself off the wall and quietly walked over to the edge of the building. Carefully poking her head around the corner, she looked for any sign of the purple faced ninja. A small sigh of relief escaped her lips. "Good. He still hasn't found me."

Turning back to the alley where she was currently hiding, the young thief walked over to where she dropped her backpack. She sighed and picked it up, slinging it onto her back in one fluid motion. "I sure hope this is worth it," she said quietly to herself.

With backpack on back, the thief darted out of the alley, and back into the busy market streets of the village. Falling into step with the other villagers, she slowly made her way to the village gates, each step more agonizing than the last.

"At this rate, he'll find me in no time," she thought nervously. Her sapphire eyes darted back and forth over the crowd. She was about to relax when she caught a glimpse of purple out of the corner of her eye. Her heart nearly stopped beating.

"Oh crap," she muttered, stumbling into the nearest darkened alley.

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Temari and Kankurou crouched on the balcony of a nearby building, watching the market place. Sighing impatiently, Kankurou glanced over to Temari who was watching the crowd calmly.

"Are you sure we'll find her over there, or are we just wasting our time?" Kankurou asked, his voice laced with irritation.

"Cool it Kankurou," Temari said, her eyes never leaving the busy street. "She'll be there. Just trust me."

Kankurou huffed and turned his attention back to the crowded market.

Temari's eyes narrowed. "Gotcha," she whispered. Kankurou's gaze followed Temari's, and quickly locked onto his intended prey.

"She's all mine," Kankurou growled, diving off the balcony, into the street.

"Wait!" Temari yelled after him, startled by his sudden departure. "Ugh, you idiot," she muttered, following soon after.

Kankurou landed on the ground lightly. Standing up, he watched as the thief stumbled into the dark alley. A small smirk tugged at his lips. "She must've seen me," he thought to himself. He brushed some dust off his pants, and began to walk briskly towards the alley.

"Kankurou, stop!" Temari yelled. Kankurou's eyes narrowed. He stopped, with fists clenched. "What now, Temari?" he asked with forced calm.

Temari glared at her brother. "First off. Had you been paying attention to your surroundings, this would have never happened. So, don't use that tone of voice with me.

Kankurou simply glared. "And…?" he said.

Temari sighed. "Secondly, we don't know what kind of tricks she has up her sleeves. Let's proceed with caution. You're not invincible you know."

Kankurou nodded in agreement. "Fine. We'll do it your way.

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"I'm so dead. I'm so dead!" thought the thief as she ran down the alley. She stopped for only a second, trying to catch her breath.

"Where to go? Where to go?" She looked around the alley trying to find a good place to hide.

Hearing footsteps, she turned and headed deeper into the dark alley, unsure of where it was leading her.

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Kankurou smirked and followed the receding footsteps. "There's no point in running, thief," he thought to himself. "You're not getting away this time."

Slowly Kankurou closed the gap between himself and the thief. "Almost there," he said quietly. "I hope your plan works, Temari."

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The thief skidded to a stop as she came to the end of the alley. "Oh man…not good." She turned her back to the wall, and examined her surroundings, hoping to spot an escape route. No luck. She sighed heavily. The only way out was through him, and he was the last person that she wanted to run into right now.

Her eyes continued their desperate, but fruitless search for an escape.

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"Well, well. A dead end. How fitting." Kankurou smirked as he turned the corner and faced the thief. "Did you think you were actually going to get away by coming down here?" he asked with a hint of sarcasm in his voice. Kankurou slowly approached the frightened thief.

The thief glanced at Kankurou nervously. She backed up, trying to keep some distance between the purple faced ninja and herself. Unfortunately she soon found her back, quite literally, up against a wall.

Kankurou continued to advance on the thief. "You have something I want," he said, glaring at her. "Perhaps it would be wise if you handed it over to me, now."

Frightened, the young thief reached into a pouch on her leg and pulled out a kunai knife. Quickly, she threw the knife at Kankurou and made a dash for it, hoping to skirt around him, and escape.

Kankurou smirked and caught the kunai mid-flight. "That wasn't what I was talking about, and you know it," he said, blocking her escape. "And, you'll have to do better than that if you're planning on getting past me."

The thief glowered at Kankurou, and removed the backpack from her back. "You want them? Take them!" she yelled at Kankurou, throwing her backpack at him. Kankurou jumped into the air, catching the backpack. Landing on the ground, he quickly opened the pack, making sure all three puppet summoning scrolls where there. He breathed a sigh of relief. They were. He placed the backpack on his back.

In the mean time, the thief took advantage of the situation and dashed past Kankurou towards freedom. Kankurou chuckled and stood up putting his hands in his pockets, watching her run down the alley. "Nice try, thief," he said quietly.

Turning a corner in the alley, the thief came to a sudden stop. Blocking her way was a blonde haired female with a knowing look on her face. "Not so fast girly," the blonde said with a grin. The thief quickly did an about-face and was about to make a dash for it when Kankurou rounded the corner. "Can't go that way. Remember?" he said with a smirk.

The thief growled in frustration. She glanced at Kankurou, then at Temari. She sized up the blonde, looking for any noticeable weakness. Temari regarded her lazily. "This is the thief who stole your scrolls Kankurou?" she said with a hint of amusement in her voice. "You really were out of it weren't ya bro?"

Kankurou shot a glare at his sister. Temari laughed. The thief suddenly attacked Temari, in an attempt to get past her. Temari defended, easily tossing the young thief over her shoulder in a smooth motion. Seeing this, Kankurou dashed past the two females, unnoticed by the thief, and waited for the thief to make her next move.

While still in mid-air, the thief managed to accidentally grab Temari's fan, which was still in her belt. Temari gasped in shock, and turned to face the thief whose back was to Kankurou. Temari glared at her. "Give that back thief," she said.

The girl shook her head nervously and began to back up slowly; her body holding the fan defensively. "I said, give it back," repeated Temari, who began to walk towards the frightened girl. The girl continued to back up.

The girl stopped suddenly as a large hand grasped her shoulder firmly, and the cool tip of a kunai was placed against her throat. "I'd do as she said, thief," said the familiar voice.

A few beads of sweat rolled down the girl's face. She closed her eyes tightly and swallowed. A drip of cool, syrupy liquid fell onto her lightly tanned skin, and slowly rolled down her chest. Her grip on the fan loosened, and Temari took it, placing it back in her belt.

Opening her eyes, the girl turned her head slightly, trying to catch a glimpse of the person holding her hostage. "I wouldn't move if I were you," said the voice. Temari looked to the man holding the girl. "Thank you Kankurou," she said. Kankurou nodded. "No prob, sis."

Kankurou looked at the girl he held in his grip. "What should we do with her?" he asked, glancing at Temari. Temari shrugged and looked at Kankurou. "We should take her to Gaara and let him decide," she said casually.

The girl swallowed again as another bead of liquid landed on her skin and rolled down her chest. She breathed deeply. A hint of lavender reached her nose, and a barely noticeable sting tickled the skin where the liquid fell. "A poison covered kunai," she thought to herself. She relaxed slightly under Kankurou's grip. "Potent, but not deadly," she sighed. "…just enough to knock one out for a day or two."

Kankurou turned his attention to the girl, feeling her relax slightly. He looked back to Temari. "I really don't think Gaara would appreciate us bugging him with something so trivial," he said. Temari shrugged. "Well, you asked, and I answered."

Several shadows passed overhead. Temari, Kankurou, and the girl all looked up, surprised. A few men jumped the space between the two buildings, with several ninja from the sand in quick pursuit. Temari furrowed her brows in concern. Who were they chasing, and why? She glanced at Kankurou, who was still focusing on the rooftops. She looked back up, watching for any more signs of pursuit. Just then Baki passed overhead. He stopped, catching a glimpse of Kankurou and Temari. Dropping down into the alley, he quickly took in the scene.

"No time for fooling around guys," he said, getting straight to business. "Somebody stole the scroll." Kankurou growled, looking down at the thief he was currently holding in his grip. "Damn thieves," he muttered. Temari grimaced hearing the news. She glanced at the girl then at Baki. Her eyes narrowed. "She was simply the decoy," said Temari, nodding towards the girl. Baki glanced at the girl, then back at Kankurou and Temari. "Perhaps she can lead us to their hideout," he said quickly.

Kankurou looked down at the girl. "Perhaps… if she talks," he said. Baki nodded. "We're wasting time standing here," he said. "Follow me."

With that, Baki jumped back up to the rooftops, and continued to pursue the thieves. Temari and Kankurou followed closely behind, with Kankurou carrying the young thief.

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"Where's Gaara?" Temari asked, catching up with Baki. Baki continued running. "He's back at the mansion taking care of a few stragglers," he said. Temari nodded and glanced back at her brother, making sure he was keeping up. He was. She looked over to Baki again. "I'm going to get ahead of the group and head off the thieves." Kankurou and Baki watched as Temari pulled ahead, quickly closing the gap between herself and the thieves.

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Pulling out her fan and opening it, Temari knocked over a few of the thieves with a powerful gust of wind. Several sand nin quickly rounded up the stunned thieves, and headed back to the mansion. Temari continued on ahead. The thieves were not getting away. Not on her watch.

Temari landed on the village wall softly. She slowed her breathing and stood up. Pulling out her fan again, Temari waited for the thieves to arrive. They didn't disappoint her.

The thieves slowed as Temari dropped into a defensive stance. "You're not getting past me with that scroll," she said. The thieves chuckled, amused. "And what are you going to do to stop us?" the leader asked.

Temari smirked. "You'd better not underestimate me, for your own sake," she said, pulling her fan in front of her. The thieves chuckled again. One of them pulled out a kunai and released it at Temari, who simply batted it out of the way.

"Not bad … for a female," laughed the thief. Temari glared. "Now you better move, before we decide to hurt you." Temari stood her ground. "Go ahead and try," she said, tauntingly.

The thief holding the scroll fell back as his two partners in crime suddenly attacked Temari. As Temari fought them off, the thief decided to make a break for it while she was still distracted.

The thief stopped short when Baki dropped down in front of him. "Drop the scroll," he said. It was more of a threat than an order. The thief just stood there.

"If you don't drop the scroll now, we'll kill her." The thief whipped around as Kankurou landed behind him, holding the girl, his kunai against her throat. "Drop it," Kankurou said dangerously, pulling the kunai closer to him. The girl gasped softly as the kunai pressed against her skin.

The thief chuckled quietly. "Kill her then," he said. "She's expendable." The thief laughed again and looked at Baki, then at Kankurou. Having beat the two thieves that attacked her, Temari approached the scene, along with two other sand nin.

The thief sighed, clearly outnumbered. "You guys are pathetic," he said with a smirk. He grinned and looked Kankurou directly in the eyes. "Aren't you going to kill her?" he taunted. With that, he threw down a smoke bomb and disappeared, before Temari had a chance to blow the smoke away.

The two sand nin took off after the thief, in an effort to find him and bring back the scroll. Baki followed closely behind them. Temari looked at Kankurou, sighing heavily. Kankurou's brows were furrowed. Did that thief call his bluff, or did this girl really mean nothing to him? Kankurou lowered the kunai, sighing. The girl relaxed considerably under his grip. Her posture was one of defeat and betrayal.

Kankurou glanced over at Temari. "I think we should let Gaara decide what to do with her," he said. Temari nodded. Kankurou started to pick up the girl but stopped when she spoke. "You don't have to carry me," she said quietly, looking at the ground. She raised her head, wiping a small tear away from her cheek. "I'll follow you." Kankurou nodded. The three turned and headed towards the mansion.


	2. A Deal Made

**Disclaimer: Galaxya and I do not own Naruto, but our original characters are ours.**

**A.N. – Sorry this chapter took us so long to get out (assuming any of you were waiting for an addition to this story). We're hoping to get a chapter out every week. Sometimes that may be every week and a half though, depending on our schedules. With that said, enjoy chapter two, and please post a review if you can. It would be nice to hear some feedback from you guys if at all possible.**

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Previously – The young unnamed thief caught by Kankurou and Temari willingly followed them back to the mansion where she is to meet Gaara under what could be, not so pleasant circumstances.

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**Chapter 2 – "A Deal Made"**

The journey back to the mansion seemed to take forever. The young thief sighed and continued to run along side Temari. Kankurou followed closely behind, keeping an eye on the girl. Looking straight ahead, the thief watched as the distance between the mansion and her shrunk. A feeling of pending doom, on the other hand, made its presence known in the pit of her stomach, and continued to grow the closer they got to the elegant building.

After a few minutes, the trio finally arrived at the mansion gates. Temari nodded at the guard on duty, who opened the gates. Kankurou, Temari, and the girl walked into the quiet courtyard and up to the large double doors, while the guard closed the large gates behind them. The girl blinked unwittingly as the gates closed and locked. Temari and Kankurou entered the large house, thief in tow.

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Kankurou sighed as the entered the mansion. The only sound present was the sound of the trio's footsteps on the polished, black marble floor beneath their feet. He scanned the large hall, looking for signs of life. Temari spoke up. "I wonder where everybody is. It's awfully quiet in here."

Kankurou nodded. "They must've gone home. Probably didn't want to get in Gaara's way," he said. He glanced at the girl behind him. "I suggest that you cooperate without hesitation. Gaara's probably not in a very good mood, thanks to you and your friends." He shoved his hands in his pockets, turned, and started walking towards a large stairway. "Let's go Temari."

Temari put a hand on the girl's shoulder, guiding her towards the stairs. The girl glared at Kankurou. "They weren't my friends," she muttered under her breath.

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A few minutes later, the girl found herself standing in a large circular office. Other than Kankurou, Temari, and herself, nobody else was in the room. Temari led the girl over to a large couch, and directed her to sit down. The girl complied, and sunk into the thick cushions, with a sigh.

The office was simple in design, but at the same time, elegant. Medium sized circular windows lined one section of the wall, allowing light from the harsh desert sun to enter the room, without the same intensity or heat. A large oak desk stood in front of the windows, its surface neat and orderly. A dark brown leather chair, matching the couch, rested empty behind the desk. A couple of potted trees stood against the wall near the windows on either side of the desk, their dark green leaves greedily absorbing the sun's nutrient light and warmth. Soft, thick carpet covered the office floor; its maroon coloring giving the room a warmer feel.

Kankurou turned to Temari. "Keep an eye on her," he said. "I'm going to go find Gaara. I'll be back shortly." Temari nodded, watching as Kankurou left the room. After he was gone, she took a seat on the couch, next to the girl, sighing quietly. She dropped her head into her hands and rubbed her eyes, tiredly. "Don't even think of trying anything funny," she said, her voice somewhat muffled. The girl sighed and dropped her own head into her hands. "Don't worry," she responded. "I wasn't planning to."

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"I wouldn't exactly constitute that as keeping an eye on her, Temari," said a mildly irritated voice. The thief jumped, startled. Temari glanced up at her brother and rolled her eyes. "Shut up, Kankurou," she said. She glanced around the room. "Where's Gaara?" she asked. Kankurou nodded over his shoulder, and walked over to the couch, sitting on one of the arms.

Gaara entered the office shortly after his brother. Silently, he walked over to the desk and sat down in his chair, turning to face the windows. His siblings watched him curiously. The girl swallowed nervously.

Several minutes of silence passed. The girl swallowed again. Her heart beat heavily in her chest. She stared at the back of the occupied chair intently, waiting for its occupant to move. Temari and Kankurou sat quietly on either side of her. She was sure they could hear her heart beating.

The girl reached up to wipe a small bead of sweat from her forehead. The room temperature was comfortable, but the intensity radiating off its occupants was not. She hated situations like this … being stuck between a rock and a hard place. They made her feel trapped, and she hated feeling trapped. Up until Gaara had walked into the room, she had felt fine, but now she was feeling anxious and nervous, and she wasn't sure why either. She quickly wiped another bead of sweat from her head, before it rolled into her eyes, being careful not to draw any attention to herself.

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"What is your name?"

The girl blinked a few times – dragged from her thoughts, back into reality. She shook her head quickly, refocusing her eyes on the back of the chair. The chair moved. She swallowed again.

"I asked, what is your name?" The voice was cool and calm, but commanded attention and authority. The girl opened her mouth to reply, but nothing came out. Kankurou glanced over at her, lazily. "He asked you a question, you know. You better answer it," he said.

She blinked a couple of times then nodded. "V…Vasha," she stuttered. Gaara turned to face the girl. "What land are you from?" he asked. Vasha shook her head slowly. "I…I don't belong to any land," she said quietly. Gaara frowned. Temari sat up, now interested. "You mean you're a missing nin?" she asked suddenly.

The girl's eyes widened and she shook her head vigorously. "No. My mom was a rogue. She left her country before I was born."

"And where is your mother now?" Kankurou asked, his voice laced with sarcasm. "Dead," the girl responded quickly, shoulders slumping. Kankurou's eyes widened and he turned away, embarrassed. "I'm sorry," he muttered. Temari shot him a glare.

"Where did they take it?"

The three turned their attention back to Gaara. Gaara focused his attention on the girl. She shivered uncomfortably. "Where did they take the scroll?" he asked again. His voice remained calm, and his face neutral, but his patience was wearing thin. Noticing this, Temari looked at the girl. "Please answer him, Vasha," she said softly. "You'll only make this difficult on yourself, if you don't."

Vasha nodded. "They're headed to Konoha," she said quietly. "Konoha?" Gaara questioned. The girl nodded again, staring at her hands. "They're going to try to steal their scroll, just like they stole yours," she continued.

Gaara leaned forward, resting his elbows on his desk. "When do they plan to steal it?" he asked. Vasha shook her head. "I don't know," she replied. "I overheard them talking about their plans one night, by accident," she said. "I didn't listen for long though. If they had caught me, they would have probably killed me."

Gaara shifted slightly, taking in the information he just received. He glanced over at Kankurou after a minute or so. "Take her to a holding cell," he said quietly. "I'll deal with her later." Kankurou stood up, grabbing Vasha by the arm, and headed towards the door.

"Wait!" Vasha said suddenly.

Kankurou stopped. Gaara and Temari looked at the girl. "What?" Gaara asked, mildly annoyed. Vasha looked down at her hands for a few seconds, before answering. Gaara raised an eyebrow at her. "Well?" he asked.

"I…I want to help you get the scroll back," she whispered. Temari leaned forward on the couch. "You want to do what?" Temari asked, shocked. The girl glanced over at Temari. "I want to help you get the scroll back," she repeated, this time with more confidence.

Gaara placed his hands on his desk and stood up. Vasha watched as Gaara walked to the center of the room, facing her. She quickly looked back down at her hands. He stood eye to eye with her, and that made her nervous. She wanted to remain composed.

"Why would you want to do that?" he asked, curiosity present in his voice.

"Because," she started, "…because they betrayed me and left me for dead."

Vasha furrowed her brows in anger. She glanced at Kankurou.

"They didn't care that this guy here caught me, and threatened to kill me if they didn't hand over the scroll. In fact they joked about it. Then they left, leaving me behind. I never did like them, but I didn't think they'd abandon me." She quickly wiped a small tear from her eye, and looked up at Gaara. "Because of that, I want to help you get back what is rightfully yours. I shouldn't have helped them, and I'm sorry I did. I accept whatever punishment you deem necessary for this crime. Just please, let me help you."

Her eyes met Gaara's. She didn't turn away.

Gaara glanced over at Kankurou, looking for some sort of confirmation concerning Vasha's story. Kankurou nodded slowly.

Gaara turned back to the girl. "You can help," he said, quietly.

Gaara turned towards Temari. "Take her to a guest room, and make sure she is taken care of. Post two jounin outside her room to make sure she doesn't leave." Temari nodded and stood up. Gaara turned back to Vasha. "Don't betray my trust. If you do, you'll regret it."

With that, he turned and walked back over to his chair, and sat down, facing the windows.


	3. Let's Go

**Disclaimer: Galaxya and I do not own Naruto, but our original characters are ours.**

**A.N. – Once again we took a long time to update Destinies Entwined. We are sorry about that. This time though we have a valid excuse. A friend from out of state was visiting us during his spring break. We figured it was more important to spend time with him then write a silly story, so that's exactly what we did. As far as we can tell our schedules are pretty much back to normal. Our spring break is nearly here though, so be warned. We are already working on chapter 4, so hopefully it won't take long to submit. **

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Previously – Vasha, the thief caught by Kankurou and Temari, reveals to Gaara where her former group of thieves is going to hit next. She begs Gaara to let her help Suna steal the scroll back. Gaara agrees.

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**Chapter 3 – "Let's Go"**

Night settled in Sunagakure, bringing with it a cool desert breeze. Gaara stood on the roof of the mansion looking over the village. Everything was quiet. Every one was already at home spending time with their families, enjoying dinner. Gaara blinked slowly and turned to look at the moon. It shone brightly tonight; perfect for traveling.

He sighed and looked down into the courtyard below. Several people were running back and forth finishing up the last of their tasks for the evening. He turned and headed for the door leading back into the mansion. It was almost time to go. Hopefully Temari, Kankurou, and the girl were ready. He didn't want to waste any more time than was necessary.

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Several minutes passed as Gaara walked through the numerous halls that made up the majority of the mansion. He passed several rooms along the way, many of which were empty except for the dust that occupied them. The upper most floors of the mansion were for the most part devoid of life. Nobody really had any real reason to visit the upper floors anyway, so everything remained undisturbed.

Gaara stopped for a moment in front of one room in particular. He pushed against the heavy oak door that blocked him from entering the large living area. The door creaked in protest. Gaara ignored the noise and walked into the room, slowly. Unlike the other rooms on the upper floor, this room was dust free and well maintained. Gaara made sure of that. This room had at one point been his father's room. Not his office, but his private room. It was where he had spent most of his time outside of his office. Everything was left how his father had left it, before he died.

As much as he despised his father, for some reason he couldn't let what was left of him to become lost in the dust that seemed to consume everything else up here. Gaara sighed heavily and turned around, shutting the door behind him as he left.

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A few minutes later, Gaara found Kankurou and Temari. They looked up as he entered the room. He watched as they shoved the last of their supplies into their packs and stood up.

"Where's the girl?" he asked. Kankurou looked past him towards the stairs and nodded. "She's still in her room," he replied. Gaara nodded and turned, heading towards the stairs. "Make sure you're ready by the time I get back," he said.

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Silently, Gaara approached Vasha's door. The jounin guarding the door glanced at him, nodding respectfully. Gaara nodded in response. Placing his hand on the door handle, he turned it and entered the quiet room.

Vasha looked up as Gaara entered the room, closing the door behind him. He stood there for a minute, looking towards the large window across the room from the door, his eyes focusing on nothing in particular.

Vasha watched him curiously as he stood there, her eyes slowly examining his face and body. His expression was neutral and unreadable, just like it was the last time she had seen him. His red hair was wind tossed, but well placed, giving him a rugged but at the same time commanding look. He stood there, silently; his presence hardly noticeable.

He felt her eyes on him, examining him. He glanced at her out of the corner of his eye. She was sitting on the bed to his left, legs crossed underneath her. She sat there, patiently waiting for him to say whatever he had come here to say.

"We are ready to leave," he said suddenly. He turned to face her. "Are you?"

Vasha nodded. "I'm ready."

He turned to face the door, placing his hand on the handle once again. "Please follow me." He opened the door and walked into the hall. Vasha grabbed her pack and quickly followed barely taking enough to make sure to close the door behind her.

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By the time Gaara and Vasha made it back down to the main floor of the mansion, Kankurou and Temari were waiting for them in the large entrance hall. Kankurou stood from a crouching position, brushing his hands along his clothes, wiping away the wrinkles that nobody but him could see.

Gaara nodded at his siblings as he walked past them, signaling it was time to go. Grabbing their packs, and in Kankurou's and Temari's case, their weapons, the siblings and Vasha followed Gaara out the mansion door, into the cool desert night. Several small grains of sand brushed roughly past the group as a cold wind picked up slightly. Temari pulled her robes closed, and signaled Vasha to do the same.

They walked in silence until they reached Sunagakure's main gates. Once outside, Gaara turned to the trio behind him. "As you already know, Baki and the nin were unable to retrieve the scroll from the thieves. The thieves have now had several hours to travel. They will likely reach Konoha before us. We will travel until daybreak, and then take a short break, after that we will continue on our way. We need to get to Konoha as soon as possible."

Gaara looked at his siblings and at Vasha, who all nodded in agreement. Temari sighed and looked past Gaara, towards the dunes. "There's no telling what they're planning on doing with those scrolls," she said, "…unless they told you." Temari glanced at Vasha who only shook her head. "What I told you, I learned by accident. Other than that, I know nothing. They only told me what my job was; nothing else." Vasha sighed and looked at Temari. "I'm sorry," she said.

Gaara looked back towards the dunes. Slowly, sand began to rise and swirl behind him, taking the shape of a gourd. Vasha watched fascinated as the sand took shape and settled between the brown leather straps that hung over his left shoulder and rested on his back and hip. "Let's go," he said, as he began walking.

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"Kabuto-san!" The sound of an opening door and rapidly approaching feet pulled Kabuto's attention away from his paper work.

Kabuto sighed and looked up from his work, glancing at the young man walking towards him. "Yes, what do you need?" he asked quietly. The boy stopped in front of Kabuto's desk, panting softly. He grinned nervously, feeling Kabuto's hidden annoyance at his sudden interruption.

"Kabuto-san, a message arrived for you just now." The boy handed the silver haired ninja a small scroll; one he had been carrying in his left hand when he entered the room. Kabuto glanced curiously at the rolled piece of parchment, before nodding at the boy. "Thank-you. You can go now." The young man nodded and turned to leave the small office. The boy left quietly, shutting the door behind him.

Sighing, Kabuto glanced once more at the scroll in his hand. He slowly unrolled it, his eyes skimming over its contents. "Heh. About time," he said, quietly. He stood up, his chair scraping noisily against the wooden floor. He winced at the sharp sound. Kabuto looked around his office making sure he wasn't forgetting to pick up anything before meeting Orochimaru. He laughed silently. It really was a cramped and uncomfortable office, but he sure did spend a lot of time in it. In fact, this office was where he spent most of his free time doing miscellaneous work for Orochimaru. Of course he wouldn't complain ... but there were days when he was tempted to.

He opened the door to his office and walked out. Orochimaru would be interested in the message he had just received, so that was his next stop.

---------------

The castle hallways were cold and dank, inviting a thin, slippery moss to grow throughout the stone covered passages. Kabuto stepped lightly in order to avoid slipping. The moss had caught him off guard once. He wouldn't let it catch him off guard again; at least not in front of people this time. He winced at the memory.

Kabuto looked up from the scroll as he approached Orochimaru's door. He raised a fist and knocked lightly on the rough wooden surface. The door opened slowly, its hinges creaking noisily. Kabuto entered the dark room. He blinked a few times while his eyes adjusted to the darkness that always seemed to blanket this one room in particular.

Once his eyes were adjusted, Kabuto walked towards a desk that rested on the opposite end of the room. At it sat a tall man with pale skin. The candles on his desk burned slowly; their flames letting off a gentle but eerie orange glow which reflected off the man's thin face, doing little to soften his hard features.

"What do you need Kabuto?" spoke Orochimaru, while he continued to study some papers on his desk.

Kabuto leaned over the desk and placed the scroll, unrolled, in front of Orochimaru's snake like eyes. "I figured you would want to read this. You may find it interesting," he said.

Orochimaru scanned the scroll quickly, looking for anything he would consider important, or interesting, as Kabuto had put it.

"As you can see, the mission in Suna was successful. They retrieved the scroll with minimal difficulty. They only lost a couple of people; nobody of consequence."

Orochimaru looked up, waiting for Kabuto to continue. Kabuto smirked.

"The group is now on their way to Konoha. They will retrieve the scroll there and then head over here to deliver it, and the Suna scroll."

Orochimaru nodded. "And what about the last part of this message? Care to explain?" he asked, mildly curious.

Kabuto nodded, grinning. "Yes, I almost forgot. The thieves picked up an interesting character a day or so outside of Suna. I think you'll be very interested in meeting her. I'll send them word letting them know not to lose her."

Orochimaru raised his eyebrows in interest. He placed his elbows on his desk and folded his hands, leaning forward. "Tell me more about this … character," he said with a smirk.

---------------

"What do you mean I'm the decoy!" huffed a young female.

"I mean that your task is to distract the guards while my men and I grab the scroll," replied a young man, clearly annoyed. "It's a simple task. Hopefully you'll be able to do it."

The girl glared at the man; her hazel eyes boring into his dark brown eyes. He stood there, unwavering. She sighed and ran a hand through her long brown hair, her natural red highlights glinting in the firelight.

"Do you think I joined you guys only to be allowed to do menial tasks?" she asked; voice laced with frustration.

The man shrugged indifferently. "Everybody has to start at the beginning at some point," he said nonchalantly, shoving his hands into his pockets. "That means you have to start with the 'menial' tasks, as you so kindly put it, since you just started working with us."

The girl glared at him again. "Well not me," she stated. "Either I go for the scroll with you and your men or I leave the group and head off on my own." She crossed her arms stubbornly, watching him for a second. "It's your choice," she said calmly.

The man sighed, fingering a folded piece of paper in his pocket. He furrowed his brows in frustration and glanced around the small camp. After muttering something under his breath, he turned to the girl. "Fine, you can go with us. But if you screw up, I'll deal with you personally."

Turning around, the man started walking back to his tent. Stopping for only a second, he addressed two men who had been listening in on the conversation. "You two are the decoys, and don't even think about trying to argue it." With that he continued heading towards his tent.

The two men sighed indignantly and turned towards their tent. "Looks like we've been demoted to expendable, again," whispered one man to his friend. "Oh, fun," replied his friend, sarcastically.

The girl smirked and pulled back the cloth door of her tent, after watching the man stalk off. "Heh, like he could do anything," she muttered to herself. She entered the small, poorly lit living space and stopped for a second, allowing her eyes enough time to adjust to the darkness.

Once she could see, she headed over to her bed roll and sat down. Yawning sleepily, she laid back, placing her arms behind her head. She smiled. If all went well, in a couple of days she would have the scroll and be on her own once again, and nobody would see it coming. All she had to do was bide her time and be patient. Yawning again, the girl turned on her side and closed her eyes.


End file.
